Tuesday, March 11, 2014

If you read my Common Core Math Review blog post the other day, you will see that a friend introduced me to a few new resources. Here is one I'm using for reading:

Once again, my students LOVE getting their packet each Monday. I like this because it teaches all the important common core strategies and uses some interesting articles. For example: in week 24 the comprehension skills are nonfiction text features and visual information. The comprehension strategies are determine important information and organization. So the daily stories is a nonfiction story on great white sharks, reading a table of contents, reading a time line, and another nonfiction on an ant colony.

It is nice that each day's comprehension story is short and sweet. I use another book with this one to give them more exposure to longer passages.

This book has different passages and then an extended response that correlates with the theme of the other stories. I have been using this one a lot before ISAT to give my kiddos exposure to writing those fun extended response questions.

By utilizing both resources (and all the items I buy from TPT), I feel like I'm covering a whole bunch of different reading comprehension stories in different ways. Until we get guidance from our administration on where our district is going with common core...this is what I'm doing.

Is anyone else having fun implementing common core WITHOUT resources given to you from your administration????

Friday, March 7, 2014

A friend introduced me to a book to help my students with common core math. If you don't know this, my district is implementing common core this year WITHOUT supplying us with materials!

I was using this book:

My students liked it, but it seemed to be kind of hodge podged. All types of skills all over the place.

A friend introduced me to this one:

This one is broken down to a different common core skill each day. For example: Monday is Patterning and Algebra, Tuesday is Number Sense and Operations, Wednesday is Geometry, Thursday is Measurement, and Friday is Data Management.

My students REALLY like this book better than the last one. Each week they can't wait until Monday so they can get their new weekly sheets. They know to work on today's section and then put it into their desk folder until the next day. If there are skills that I know my students will need help on, I will teach that skill while going over the day's questions.

Next year I will start with the second book for the first part of the year and maybe finish the year by utilizing the second book. Don't know yet...will have to see how things go with our district's math pilot!

Monday, March 3, 2014

Hi Everyone! I know...it's been awhile. This year has been a handful. With implementing Common Core without materials, ISAT testing without knowing what is on the test, PARCC piloting, etc...UGG!

Oh yeah, another thing to add to the craziness. I am on the math committee in my district and we are going to be piloting a new math series. Our current math series is over 10 years old, not exactly common core ready.

So we narrowed our 3 choices (yes we were given 3, we did not get to pick the 3 we wanted to see) from our administration to 2: My Math and Go Math. Catching titles huh?

Some of the teachers have noticed quite a few mistakes with My Math,

either with the teacher's guide or with student pages.

We are leaning towards Go Math. It just seems like it follows Common Core the best and it seems to have a nice online component.

Does anyone use either of these two math series? If so, is one better than the other???

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About Me

I am a third grade teacher in Mokena, Illinois. I've taught for over 20 years. After all these years, I still love my job! It is challenging and rewarding, but I wouldn't change a thing (except maybe the paperwork). I am married and have two wonderful boys (one in college and one in grade school).